Building component

ABSTRACT

A building component is in the form of an elongate prefabricated cornice to be used in lengths around the top of a wall or walls or a room. The cornice has a mounting part and a facing part. The mounting part has a cross-section with two legs at an angle to each other. The outer edge of each leg terminates in a reflexive bend with the outer portion of the bends inwardly directed. The facing part is a strap of material capable of being snap-fitted into or slid along the mounting part with the inside of each bend serving as a seat to receive a longitudinal edge of the facing part. A corner-piece is provided to join two adjacent lengths of cornice at a corner, the corner-piece being in two parts having a wall-mountable angle bracket and a correspondingly angled cornice part to be secured thereto.

[0001] This invention relates to a building component for use, particularly but not necessarily, in temporary accommodation such as portable buildings, mobile homes, motor homes or caravans.

[0002] Accordingly, the present invention is a building component in the form of an elongate prefabricated cornice to be used in lengths around the top of a wall or walls, the cornice having a mounting part and a facing part, the mounting part having a cross-section with two legs at an angle to each other, the outer edge of each leg terminating in a reflexive bend with the outer portion of the bends inwardly directed, the facing part being a strap of material capable of being snap-fitted into or slid along the mounting part with the inside of each bend serving as a seat to receive a longitudinal edge of the facing part.

[0003] Preferably, the facing part is of thin material and is provided with a design thereon, for example a series of corrugations whose axes are parallel to the axis of the facing part.

[0004] Preferably also, the outer part of the bend to be located adjacent to a ceiling is extended rearwardly to provide a lip whose outer edge, in use, is to abut the ceiling.

[0005] Preferably further, a corner-piece is provided to join two adjacent lengths of cornice at a corner, the corner-piece being in two parts having a wall-mountable angle bracket and a correspondingly angled cornice part to be secured thereto. The bracket desirably has a channel formation formed by two limbs extending out from its vertex, the outer ends of both channel limbs having first part gripping means extending inwardly of the channel and the cornice part having a tongue rearwardly-projecting from its vertex, the tongue having second part gripping means, the first and second part gripping means catching when pressed together. The first part gripping means is desirably inward extending barbs and the second part gripping means is desirably a series of parallel hook formations to be presented in a parallel attitude to the barbs. The cornice part desirably has two similar tapered walls, each having a similar design thereon shaped to complement the tapered walls which terminate at their lower end in a ledge having an internal groove accessed from the back of the cornice part. A finial is beneficially provided having a slide to seat in the groove with the finial extending down from the ledge,

[0006] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0007]FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a building component according to the present invention;

[0008]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a corner-piece for a building component the corner-piece being shaped to fit an inside corner;

[0009]FIG. 3 is a plan view of the corner-piece:

[0010]FIG. 4 is a detail in plan, to a larger scale, of a connection between a bracket with first part gripping means and a cornice part with second part gripping means:

[0011]FIG. 5 is a side view of the corner-piece:

[0012]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a corner-piece shaped to fit an outside corner;

[0013]FIG. 7 is a plan view of the corner-piece of FIG. 6; and

[0014]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a erected cornice showing two lengths of cornice and one inside corner-piece.

[0015] Referring to the drawing, a building component in the form of an elongate prefabricated cornice is shown. The cornice is to be used in lengths around the top of a wall or walls. Corner-pieces or junction connectors can be provided to unite two lengths of cornice. The cornice has a mounting part 10 and a facing part 12. The mounting part 10 has a cross-section with two legs 14, 16 joined at an angle, preferably obtuse, to each other. The leg 14 is, in use, upwardly orientated and secured to a wall with the other leg 16 extending outwardly and upwardly towards a ceiling. The outer edge of each leg 14, 16 terminates in a reflexive bend 18 with the outer portion 20 of the bends 18 inwardly directed. The facing part 12 is a strap of material capable of being snap-fitted into or slid along the mounting part 10 with the inside of each bend 18 serving as a seat to receive a longitudinal edge of the facing part 12. The facing part 12 is of a thin material and is provided with a design thereon, for example a series of corrugations 22 whose axes are parallel to the axis of the facing part 12. The mounting part and the facing part 12 are normally made of a plastics material.

[0016] The outer part of the bend 18 to be located adjacent to a ceiling is extended rearwardly to provide a lip 24 whose outer edge, in use, is to abut the ceiling.

[0017] A corner-piece is provided to join two adjacent lengths of cornice at a corner, the corner-piece being in two parts having a wall-mountable angle bracket 30 and a correspondingly angled cornice part 32 to be secured thereto. The bracket 30 has a channel formation formed by two limbs 34 extending out from its vertex. The outer ends of both channel limbs 34 have first part gripping means extending inwardly of the channel formation and the cornice part 32 has a tongue 36 rearwardly-projecting from its vertex. The tongue 36 has second part gripping means. The first and second part gripping means catch when pressed together. The first part gripping means is inward extending barbs 38 and the second part gripping means is a series of parallel hook formations 40 to be presented in a parallel attitude to the barbs 38. The cornice part 32 has two similar tapered walls 42, 44, each having a similar design 46 thereon shaped to complement the tapered walls 42, 44 which terminate at their lower end in a ledge 48 having an internal groove 50 accessed from the back of the cornice part 32. A finial 52 is provided having a slide 54 to seat in the groove 50 with the finial 52 extending down from the ledge 48 as shown.

[0018] In use, a length of the mounting part 10 of a cornice is fitted to one wall in the manner described above. A similar length of facing part 12 is positioned with one longitudinal edge, normally the lower edge, seated in a respective bend 18 The bottom edge of the facing part 12 is placed into the seat of the lower bend 18 and then pushed against the mounting part 10. The outer end of the leg 16 flexes upwardly and the upper longitudinal edge of the facing part 12 snaps into its seat in the upper bend 18. It is also possible, particularly at outer corners or other occasions where one end of a mounting part is, available/accessible, to slide a facing part 12 along the seats of the bends 18 of the mounting part 10, the seats in this case serving initially as guideways. Depending on whether the corner is an outer corner or an inner corner depends on which version of the corner-piece is used. The bracket 30 is secured to the corner between the two lengths of cornice and the required cornice part 32 is pushed in such that the hook formations 40 of the tongue 36 engage between the barbs 38 of the mounting bracket 30. Three hook formations 40 can be provided in the series and which one is gripped by the barbs 38 depends on how far the cornice part 32 can be pushed inwardly without distorting the corner-piece or lengths of cornice. The components of the cornice, ie. the mounting part, the facing part, and the walls of the corner-piece are easily cut to correspond to the shape required if the top of the walls of a room slope upwards or downwards.

[0019] Variations and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention described above and as claimed hereinafter. 

I claim:
 1. A building component in the form of an elongate prefabricated cornice to be used in lengths around the top of a wall or walls, the cornice having a mounting part and a facing part, the mounting part having a cross-section with two legs at an angle to each other, the outer edge of each leg terminating in a reflexive bend with the outer portion of the bends inwardly directed, the facing part being a strap of material capable of being snap-fitted into or slid along the mounting part with the inside of each bend serving as a seat to receive a longitudinal edge of the facing part.
 2. A building component according to claim 1 , wherein the facing part is of thin material and is provided with a design thereon, for example a series of corrugations whose axes are parallel to the axis of the facing part.
 3. A building component according to claim 1 , wherein the outer part of the bend to be located adjacent to a ceiling is extended rearwardly from the bend to provide a lip whose outer edge, in use, is to abut the ceiling.
 4. A building component according to claim 1 , wherein a corner-piece is provided to join two adjacent lengths of cornice at a corner, the corner-piece being in two parts having a wall-mountable angle bracket and a correspondingly angled cornice part to be secured thereto.
 5. A building component according to claim 4 , wherein the bracket has a channel formation formed by two limbs extending out from its vertex, the outer ends of both channel limbs having first part gripping means extending inwardly of the channel and the cornice part having a tongue rearwardly-projecting from its vertex, the tongue having second part gripping means, the first and second part gripping means catching when pressed together.
 6. A building component according to claim 5 , wherein the first part gripping means is inwardly-extending barbs and the second part gripping means is a series of parallel hook formations to be presented in a parallel attitude to the barbs.
 7. A building component aaccording to claims 4, wherein the cornice part has two similar tapered walls, each having a similar design thereon shaped to complement the tapered walls which terminate at their lower end in a ledge having an internal groove accessed from the back of the cornice part.
 8. A building component according to claim 7 , wherein a finial is provided having a slide to seat in the groove with the finial extending down from the ledge. 